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Halloween Horror Nights: Tales of Terror
Halloween Horror Nights: Tales of Terror was the 15th Halloween Horror Nights event in Orlando. Located in Islands of Adventure exclusively for the third time, it was the first time that all of the mazes, scarezones, and shows were linked in a large event backstory. The Storyteller, Elsa Strict, weaved the tale of the world of Terra Cruentus, its ruler the Terra Queen, and her subjects. The event featured seven mazes, four scarezones, and two special shows and ran for 19 nights from September 30 to October 31, 2005. In 2006 it was awarded by Amusement Today with the Golden Ticket Award for Best Halloween Event. The Event The event icon, The Storyteller, told the story which wove through each maze and scarezone and depicted the roles of the various actors and how they worked for the queen. As it went, the land of Terra Cruentus was a dark realm shrouded in myths. Guests entered through Terra Guard Run (Port of Entry at IOA), which was a melting pot of the people of Terra Cruentus. Characters from every island were featured, scaring guests as they entered. The Queen herself was a dictator who rode a motorcycle featuring wings and the head of a wolf/bull hybrid. She ruled from her Terra Throne (Port of Entry Landing), a twisted tree forged of blood and steel by the hard workers of the Cemetery Mines who are in Gorewood Forest (Jurassic Park). Her source of power was a blade, called the Terra Throne Blade, which was used during human sacrifices, which were needed to satisfy her and continue her rule over the land. The blade was forged in the Fire Pits (Lost Continent). The bodies of these sacrifices were given to the Body Collectors (Jurassic Park Discovery Center), who took them apart and kept only what could be salvaged. While the workers worked, the children of Terra Cruentus terrorized The Skool (Thunder Falls Terrace), especially around the Season of the Queen, a time of ritual in Terra Cruentus. While most of the realms worked, the realm of Iron Bone Gorge a.k.a. Blood Thunder Alley (Marvel Superhero Island) roared to life with passionate vice, as the demons inhabiting the world lured guests to celebrate the resurrection of the queen through drinking of the Bloodberry Wine and escaping to the local Demon Cantina (Carnage Warehouse), where guests could be terrorized by the vampiric assailants who drank there. Beyond "Maldakken Pass" (an area of vendors and derelict props) lay the "tests" of fear: Blood Ruins (Soundstage 22), Where Evil Hides (Soundstages 18 and 19), and Cold Blind Terror (Soundstage 20). Each night of the event planted actors were brought up to the Terra Throne and sacrificed to the queen. Their blood was made into Bloodberry Wine. The actors were mutilated via special effects such as fake chainsaws and swords. On the final night the Terra Queen sacrificed herself. The newest special effect introduced at HHN XV was a new "helmet" technology. For the Terror Mines (Poseidon's Fury) haunted maze, every 10th guest was given a hard hat with a light on it. As the guest and his group proceeded through the maze, the light would go out, change colors, strobe or stay normal. Sensors throughout the maze would designate what effect took place. On busy peak nights, a portion of Universal Studios Florida was open for event-goers, which included a special chain link fence maze called Rat Run. On a platform above the maze stood Jack the Clown, heckling guests as they made their way through. Other attractions *'North Hollow' (Toon Lagoon) *'South Hollow' (Peak-only Seuss Landing) *'Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure' (Toon Lagoon Amphitheater)